Sisyphean Bills

Actually, this proves my point. How many Super Bowls have the Cowboys and Redskins won in recent years despite being a pair of teams in bigger markets and at the top of the Forbes list every year? I'm not sure who cheers for the profitability of the owner of the team they follow, but when I said bad management decisions I was referring to the resulting football product. I don't see it. I don't think the OP was comparing Buffalo's owner the Pittsburgh's owner to discuss the relative value of the teams according to Forbes. That sort of thread would've probably been better on a board dedicated to discussion of business finance for CPAs.

How is it that market size trumps bad management again? The Steelers, before Chuck Noll, used to be a laughingstock, making the playoffs 1 time in 35 years. They started making some better decisions, found a system that works, and have stuck with that formula for the most part, becoming the franchise everyone else in the NFL wishes they were. On the other hand, let's say the Bills did something to raise more money or extend their market, if market size is really the more significant factor. Oh, something like selling games to the largest market in Canada for millions of dollars would help the bottom line and expand the market. Doing that should immediately translate to wins then, right? And where does that Toronto money go anyway? Not to buying better players and coaches. Why buy the rhetoric that Ralph and his crew preach to defend the way he runs his team? The "woe is me, I have a poor, small market" line of crap has been thrown out there for years. Other NFL owners know the routine and shrug it off. Yes, the logical look at the Steelers and Packers success and realize that market size does not trump poor, insular decision making. Want another example of parochial thinking? When the Bills were actually good, the networks tried to give them more exposure by booking them for night games. The Bills declined this national exposure because some segment of the fans complained and were inconvenienced by going to late night games. This is not to criticism of those fans at all. It is rather to point out that the Bills management made the decision to have less exposure to appease some of their fans over marketing their team nationally, since the debate in this thread was (partly) about the importance of market size.

Not a fan of the QB running his fingers through his locks over and over?

I don't believe in the "here vs. not here" mock explanation either. Brandon was definitely at the combine, etc. and doing his bit with scouting players. The front office reorganization that happened when Buddy was hired as "GM of football" took place for reasons much like any other corporate functional restructuring -- the big boss realized he wasn't getting the production he needed in areas of his business and made changes.

The hammer has a bipolar lot in life. Most of the time, he lays in the toolbox with other tools. Occasionally, he is used viciously, smashing his head upon nails producing a distinctive sound that permeates through walls of neighboring structures at precisely 8:00:01 every morning.

Dude, I have an issue with defending bringing players in because the contract makes them "easy to cut". This is the Chris Kelsay argument all over again. CK's extension was "great" to some, not because he brought anything to the team, but because the financials let the team "dump him at any time" and not get stung too bad. WTF. Don't you like winning football games? There are no "ibjective signs" yet. The guy hasn't even had his press conference (did they have one for Thigpen?) for crying out loud.

The Packers played games in Milwaukee for 61 years...

And of course it looks like they are giving him a press conference ... sigh.

It's human nature to be a little cautious in new situations. Our ancestors that weren't were most likely eaten by big lions. Anyway, I'm not convinced that VY is going to be any better at learning the offense here than he was last year, etc. We'll see, but I don't expect miracles to happen just because its Buffalo. Yep, he's an innocent bystander. Add Andy Reid to the list of co-conspirators!

Vince Young has ridiculous athletic talent. Ridiculous. If he decides that he wants to put in the work and hone that talent to becoming the best NFL QB he can be, it wouldn't really be a contest. Young's problem has never been athletic. http://articles.philly.com/2012-02-24/sports/31095858_1_eagles-backup-circus-act Before getting too worked up about the above comment, VY didn't last long in Eagleland where Andy Reid is considered a QB guru. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/25/vince-young-may-not-have-backup-job-locked-up/

The real question is if Young is an upgrade to Thigpen. With Thigpen, the Bills gave every indication they had a backup QB that they never wanted to take a snap under any circumstance, meaningful or not. I can't get the image of Thigpen fumbling around with his helmet (giving it a "what the **** is this thing" look) next to Chan, who casually signals for a timeout, after Fitz took a wicked shot... Young, on the other hand, may be a guy that Gailey would be willing to send onto the field -- we don't know at this point. But, if he could be, then he is an upgrade at the #2 QB position. Assuming he minds his Ps and Qs and isn't an active cancer in the locker room.

The "born leader" angle is refuted a bit here. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d86a08/article/titans-had-to-cut-young-who-now-has-soulsearching-to-do It is also worth noting that Bud Adams released Young before he evaluated the coaching situation of his team, so the idea that the owner supported Young completely against a coach that was determined to ruin an otherwise innocent bystander is obvious specious. Not to mention that Fisher's motives, that he didn't want Young on draft day, are purely speculative versus a body of evidence that Young simply was unreliable and unmotivated in honing his craft as a QB. But as far as Young in Buffalo, you are exactly right, Hopeful. The real question is has Young matured any from his past flame out? Or does he still have that Ryan Leaf cockiness, the attitude that had him assuring the media that he's the franchise savior and doesn't need to look at the playbook cause he's got it all figured out? The contrast between the Bills QBs in night and day. We now have a guy that is a student of the game but has some physical limitations and a guy with off the charts physical ability that refused to put in the effort and apply himself. Too bad Chan isn't a Frankenstein surgeon who could take the best parts and reassemble himself a great QB...

It's probably worth pointing out that these guys can get overruled, if you know what I mean and I thinketh you doth.

Vince Young signs with Bills, wants chance to be a starter

http://instantrimshot.com/index.php?sound=priceiswrong

Welcome to my ignore list, you pessimist!

<thread topic> ... for mowing your lawn.

Bill Polian was talking about the "retirement" angle yesterday. Imagine you are the best athlete around growing up. People realize you are talented and will help you for a variety of reasons, some of them quite well intended. You've dedicated your life year round for as long as you can remember to a single game. You live in a world where your mistakes are cushioned and your life is guided into a future on rails. Then, you reach the end of your athletic career. The entire support system disappears overnight. You're in your 30s and everything you have known is turned upside down. His point was that the system has done a grave disservice to the people that have bled for professional sports in general. As soon as the system has rung its last peso from the athlete, the athlete walks right off the end of a plank. There is no doubt a truth that the public is fascinated by the fall of heroes as much (some would say more) than their rise to stardom. Perhaps the system is built to reinforce this schadenfreude.

Thanks for the clarification. Never meant to imply that defending Brady was "all about CB play". Frankly, I just wasn't sure what you really meant. My ultimate point is that Gilmore is more NFL ready, regardless of the size of the playbook, than the Williams kid from Texas was last year, which was touched on a bit in the thread.

So, are you just saying that NFL defenses don't run a lot of "plays" for their CBs? The trouble is that at least some coaches ideally want a defensive backfield that can diagnose what the opponent's offense is doing and adjust to counter it. Not all college DBs have the experience in making those transitions and many don't even practice the necessary skills and technique. Sitting in a cover-2 all day against Tom Brady would be a recipe for defeat, no?

Right now, we're not just in first place in the AFC East but the entire NFL!

Fresh from the random number generator... Week 1 9/9: Buffalo Bills at New York - Loss Week 2 9/16 Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills - Win Week 3 9/23: Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns - Loss Week 4 9/30: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - Win Week 5 10/07: Buffalo Bills at San Francisco 49ers - Loss Week 6 10/14: Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals - Loss Week 7 10/21: Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills - Loss Week 8: BYE Week 9: 11/04 Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans - Win Week 10: 11/11 Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots - Win Week 11: 11/15 (Thurs) Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills - Loss Week 12: 11/25 Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts - Win Week 13: 12/02 Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills - Loss Week 14: 12/09 St. Louis Rams at Buffalo Bills - Loss Week 15: 12/16 Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills - Loss Week 16: 12/23 Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins - Loss Week 17: 12/30 New York Jets at Buffalo Bills - Loss Well, if that's not a winner, I'm kicking this old computer!

Don't discount the comedic factor of bringing in a guy as bright as a lamp post to learn the competition's operations. (I've actually seen this done by the way. Like taking a shower of eggs, really.) Some people get tired out easier than others. No shame in that...

Asleep at the wheel again? http://instantrimshot.com/

No doubt. Players can improve and others can regress. I did see one Jags game last year, though. Gabbert looked every bit the deer-in-the-headlights that his critics are saying. Thankfully they locked Modrak out of the war room last draft.